Emily of New Moon · Chapter
A Special Providence explained
Emily begins to enjoy school despite her initial dread, but a humiliating incident with Miss Brownell over her rapturous response to a poem leaves her deeply wounded.
What happens
Emily begins to enjoy school despite her initial dread, but a humiliating incident with Miss Brownell over her rapturous response to a poem leaves her deeply wounded. Later, she discovers a stash of old letter-bills at New Moon, which she repurposes as writing paper, allowing her to resume her beloved scribblings and write a long letter to her deceased father.
Themes in this chapter
Imagination and Creativity
Emily's intense response to poetry and her need to write demonstrate the power of imagination and creativity as a vital outlet for her emotions.
Secrecy and Truth
Emily hides her true feelings about the slap from her family and secretly writes to her father, underscoring the theme of secrecy versus the truth of her inner life.
Characters to notice
- Emily Byrd Starr
Emily experiences the highs of school friendship and the lows of Miss Brownell's slap, finding solace in writing on old letter-bills.
- Miss Brownell
Miss Brownell slaps Emily for her enthusiastic interruption during the reading of 'Bugle Song,' showing her strict and cold demeanor.
- Aunt Laura Murray
Aunt Laura shows kindness to Emily and inadvertently provides her with writing paper by uncovering old letter-bills.
- Rhoda Stuart
Rhoda is Emily's close friend at school, though her giggling at Emily's writings is a minor annoyance.
- Aunt Elizabeth Murray
Aunt Elizabeth remains distant and disapproving, particularly regarding Emily's emotional expressions and writing.
Key passages
“Emily was sure on that first day at school that she would never like it. She must go, she knew, in order to get an education and be ready to earn her own living; but it would always be what Ellen Greene solemnly called 'a cross.'”
Emily initially dreaded school, viewing it as a necessary burden for her future independence, much like Ellen Greene's description of a 'cross.'
This sets up Emily's initial resistance to school, which later transforms into enjoyment.
“She sprang from her seat, knocking her slate to the floor with a clatter, she rushed up the aisle, she caught Miss Brownell's arm. 'Oh, teacher,' she cried with passionate earnestness, 'read that line over again—oh, read that line over again!'”
Overcome by the beauty of the poem, Emily impulsively rushes to the teacher and begs her to repeat the line, showing her deep emotional connection to literature.
This moment of artistic rapture leads to her public humiliation.
“Miss Brownell shut her book and shut her lips and gave Emily a resounding slap on her face. 'Go right back to your seat and mind your own business, Emily Starr,' said Miss Brownell, her cold eyes malignant with her fury.”
Miss Brownell harshly slaps Emily and orders her back to her seat, displaying anger and a lack of understanding for Emily's passion.
The slap symbolizes the clash between rigid discipline and creative expression.
“She could not cry—this was 'a grief too deep for tears'—she went home from school in a suppressed anguish of bitterness and shame and resentment—an anguish that had no outlet, for she dared not tell her story at New Moon.”
Emily is so deeply hurt that she cannot cry, and she suppresses her anguish at home because she fears her family won't understand.
This highlights Emily's isolation and the emotional burden she carries alone.
“Then destiny stepped in and drew Aunt Laura to the sitting-room bookcase to look in its lower compartment for a certain letter she wanted to see. She took Emily with her to show her a curious old snuffbox that had belonged to Hugh Murray, and in rummaging for it lifted out a big, flat bundle of dusty paper—paper of a deep pink colour in oddly long and narrow sheets.”
Aunt Laura's search for a letter leads to the discovery of old pink letter-bills, which become Emily's new writing paper.
This serendipitous find provides Emily with an outlet for her creativity.
